Commercial vessel traffic in Mobile’s Bar and River channels will be temporarily halted on Friday morning while the former USS Enterprise is towed into the city for dismantling, officials said. The Alabama Port Authority announced that the tow is slated to begin at 6 a.m., weather permitting, and is expected to take eight to ten hours depending on port conditions.
According to Fox10, the entire channel from Mobile Lighted Buoy 1 to the Cochrane Bridge will be closed to commercial traffic for the duration of the operation. While some harbor traffic may continue as the vessel transits Mobile Bay, the U.S. Coast Guard will stop all vessel movement once the carrier reaches the harbor until it is securely moored.
Marine Insight reported that the carrier, the world’s first nuclear‑powered aircraft carrier, left Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia on November 2 and was projected to arrive in Mobile on or about November 11, with the Navy later estimating arrival around November 13. The Coast Guard has established two temporary safety zones: a moving 500‑yard Naval Vessel Protection Zone that will surround the ship from the moment it enters the Captain of the Port Mobile zone, and a fixed safety zone at its berth on the Mobile River.
Both outlets note that vessels must stay at least 100 yards from the carrier unless they receive explicit permission from the Coast Guard. The moving zone will be in effect until the Enterprise is moored at Modern American Recycling Services, located at 701 S. Royal St. Once moored, a fixed safety zone will replace the moving zone, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expects no impact on commercial traffic from this fixed zone.
Recreational boaters are advised to monitor VHF Channel 16 for Coast Guard instructions and to expect law‑enforcement patrols along the route. The Coast Guard will provide schedule updates on alports.com and through the Sector Mobile Command Center (251‑266‑5888). Safety zone boundaries are detailed in Corps of Engineers Navigation Bulletins 26‑143 and 26‑144.
NorthStar Maritime Dismantlement Services has secured a $418.5 million Navy contract to dismantle the 1,123‑foot carrier, a job that must be completed by September 2030. Hazardous and low‑level radioactive waste will be packaged and sent to licensed disposal sites, and the fixed safety zone around the berth could remain in force until around May 2030.
What’s next: The tow is expected to finish by late afternoon Friday, after which the Mobile Bar and River channels will reopen to commercial traffic. Residents and mariners should continue to follow Coast Guard advisories for any further updates or extensions to the safety zones.
Sources: fox10tv.com, marineinsight.com
